48 hours in Brisbane: where to go and what to see

From quirky cafés to hair-raising thrills, Queensland’s capital is more than a gateway city

Travel essentials

Why go now?

If Brisbane has a goldilocks month – consistent mid- to late-20s temperatures, but without the usual oppressive humidity and high rainfall of the Australian summer – November is it. Queensland’s capital is an increasingly well connected gateway to the Great Southern Land. But, before jaunting off for reef and rainforest adventures elsewhere, it’s worth setting aside a couple of days to see how a once pleasant-but-dull city is transforming itself into something rather more appealing.

Touch down

Direct flights no longer operate from the UK to Brisbane, so you will have to change planes en route. Fares in November are in the region of £700- £900 return.

The airline with the widest choice is Emirates (0844 800 2777; emirates.com), with connections in Dubai from Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow. Its neighbour and rival Etihad (0845 608 1225; etihad.com) flies from Heathrow, Edinburgh and Manchester via Abu Dhabi. The widest range of airlines is from Heathrow, with airlines such as Cathay Pacific (020 8834 8888; cathaypacific.com) via Hong Kong and Singapore Airlines (0844 800 2380; singaporeair.com) via Singapore.

Brisbane airport is 12km north-east of the Central Business District (CBD). The Airtrain takes just 20 minutes to get to Central Station (1), departing at least every half hour for A$17 (£8) one way. A taxi costs approximately A$43 (£21).

Get your bearings

The CBD is built on a spit of land mostly surrounded by a loop of the Brisbane River. The Brisbane Visitor Information and Booking Centre (2) at 167 Queen Street Mall (00 61 7 3006 6290; visitbrisbane.com.au) is inside an impeccably glamorous former theatre, and is stuffed with handy leaflets.

The South Bank, which hosts the bulk of the cultural attractions and carefully-sculpted parkland, is in fact a short hop south-west across the river from the CBD. Keep going in the same direction, and you’ll hit the grungy-meets-hippie West End, while nightlife and indie-shopping packed Fortitude Valley is to the CBD’s north-west.

Check in

The Next (3) at 72 Queen Street (00 61 7 3222 3222; silver needlehotels.com) shows off a lot of electronic gimmickry. But even those disinclined to download an app to check in by phone will appreciate the location bang on Queen Street Mall, the indolence-inspiring pool deck and the four-free-items-a-day minibar policy. Doubles start at A$241 (£117), room only.

The Limes (4) at 142 Constance Street (00 61 7 3852 9000; limeshotel.com.au) goes in for high design furniture, a courtyard or balcony for every room and a rooftop bar with a couple of plunge pools. Rooms are on the smallish side, but the short stroll to Fortitude Valley is a bonus. Expect to pay around A$200 (£98) for a double, includ-ing breakfast.

The seven-room One Thornbury (5) at One Thornbury Street (00 61 7 3839 5334; onethornbury .com) does the upmarket B&B concept nicely. Expect original heritage home features such as old fireplaces, plus an outdoor breakfast area billowing with tropical plants. Doubles from A$119 (£58).

Day One

A walk in the park

The Botanic Gardens at the southern tip of the CBD between Alice Street and Main Drive were once the convict-era Government Gardens, and now combine lily ponds, formal flower arrangements and rainforest plants with rather splendid river views (bit.ly/ BrisbaneBotanic; admission free).


 Flower power: Botanic Gardens by Tourism and Events Queensland

Take a hike

From the gardens, tack west to Parliament House (7) on George Street. The Renaissance-style building is made of a blanched stone common among Brissie’s older buildings. You’ll see it again at nearby Old Government House (8) at 2 George Street (00 61 7 3138 8005; ogh.qut .edu.au), which has charming verandas and colonial displays.

Cross the car-free, jogger-clogged Goodwill Bridge (9) to the South Bank Parklands (10), which was sculpted for Expo ’88 (visitsouthbank.com .au). Music stages, waterside restaurants and the man-made Streets Beach (11) are all at the southern end, with cultural attractions clustered at the top. Of these, the Queensland Museum (12) at the corner of Grey and Melbourne Streets (00 61 7 3840 7555; qm.qld.gov.au; 9.30am to 5pm; free) whets the appetite for those planning visits elsewhere in the state. The Gallery of Modern Art (13) on Stanley Place (qagoma .qld.gov .au; 10am to 5pm; free entry) goes in for occasionally daring exhibitions.

Lunch on the run

The Jetty (14) on River Quay (00 61 7 3844 8838; thejetty southbank.com.au) is relaxed and wallet-friendly. A beef cheek ragout with pappardelle will set you back A$28 (£14).

Cultural afternoon

Continuing over the Kurilpa Bridge (15) brings you close to City Hall (16) at 64 Adelaide Street, which hosts the Museum of Brisbane (00 61 7 3339 0800; museumofbrisbane .com.au; 10am to 5pm; free). The section exploring how the city has been shaped by the river is most interesting.

Window shopping

Fortitude Valley was once a Chinatown of rowdy clubs and post-beer junk eating. Now its Melbourne-style laneway developments highlight young designers. Winn Lane (17) off Winn Street (winnlane.com.au) and Bakery Lane (18) off Ann Street (bakerylane.com.au) have clusters of small indie stores, covering everything from jewellery to vinyl.

An aperitif

The lanes are also sprouting bars, with the Treehouse (19) on Bakery Lane (00 61 7 3162 4195; thetree housefortitudevalley .com) the most agreeably whimsical. Tree branches, a hammock and a rope bridge hang above the bar, which serves cocktails such as the Mermaid Lagoon (strawberry, basil, soda and gin).

Dine with the locals

Heya (20) at 351 Brunswick Street (00 61 7 3252 3234; heyabar.com) brings a dash of Asian hawker-chic to the Valley, with the initial scruffy, bikes-on-the-wall joint giving way to a series of secret bars – one has scores of whiskies to choose from. Food is small plate street-food fare such as “dirty rice” with breaded pork or mushroom and tapioca gyoza.

Gerard’s Bistro (21) at 14/15 James Street (00 61 7 3852 3822; gerardsbistro .com.au) has a chilled-out al-fresco terrace, and an Australianised Levantine slant to the menu. High praise is deserved for the A$36 (£18) slow-cooked lamb neck with goat cheese, barberries, asparagus and millet.

Day Two

Out to brunch

On Burnett Lane in the city centre you’ll find art installations and cool cafés. Brew (22) has paintings for sale on the walls and lovingly mismatched furniture, plus scrambled eggs with mushrooms, chives, chilli and sourdough for A$15/£8 (00 61 7 3211 4242; brewcafe winebar.com.au).

Take a ride

Brisbane’s key areas are fairly walkable, but the City Cat ferry (brisbaneferries.com .au) is the most enjoyable form of public transport. Single tickets cost A$4.80 (£2.30) for one zone – which covers the trip from North Quay (23) at the western end of Elizabeth Street to Thornton Street (24) at Kangaroo Point. It costs A$5.60 (£2.70) to go further (Zone Two). Buses and trains operate the same zone-system and also fall under Translink (translink.com.au). If staying a while, get a Go Card from a train station or 7-Eleven store for a refundable A$10 (£4.80). It knocks at least 30 per cent off fares.

Take a view

Story Bridge (25) bears a passing resemblance to the Sydney Harbour Bridge (it had the same designer) and it is just as ripe for climbing. The Story Bridge Adventure Climb (26) at the corner of Wharf and Main Street (00 61 1300 254 627; sbac .net.au) kits guests out in unflattering jump suits then clips them to a wire which goes all the way to the top of the bridge, 74m above the river. The experience lasts around two-and-a-half hours and costs from A$119 (£58).


 Over it: Story Bridge Climb by Tourism and Events Queensland

Icing on the cake

The Kangaroo Point cliffs were quarried for stone for Brisbane’s early colonial buildings and there are plenty of rock-climbing routes from the straight-forward to the fiendish. Riverlife (27) at the old Naval Store on River Terrace (00 61 7 3891 5766; riverlife.com .au) has beginner sessions from A$65 (£31). Or go the other way ... and abseil down the cliffs. From A$45 (£21) gets 90 minutes’ tuition while bounding down the 20m rock face.